The present invention relates to a sports shoe.
Currently, for example in the manufacture of ski boots, it is known to articulate, at a shell, at least one quarter which embraces the rear region of the user's leg and must allow for an easy fit of the foot and the support of the leg of the user during sports practice.
This means that on one hand, the quarter has to rotate as much as possible for opening the boot to facilitate the insertion of the foot in the shell and on the other hand, the quarter must support the leg when the leg leans on the back of the quarter.
On this subject, French patent no. 71.2195, claiming Japanese priority no. 49.858/1970 of Jun. 11, 1970 and no. 131.142/1970 of Dec. 23, 1970, discloses a sports shoe comprising a rear quarter which is articulated to a shell and wherein a device for interconnecting the shell and the front quarter provides the rear support. The front quarter is in fact rigidly coupled to the rear quarter by means of adapted levers.
This solution has considerable disadvantages: on one hand, both the shell and the front quarter must be appropriately strengthened in order to withstand the stresses imparted thereto by the interconnection device and, on the other hand, the rear support can be achieved only by acting at two separate levers connecting the front quarter with the rear quarter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,356 filed on Oct. 15, 1976, discloses a sports shoe which comprises a rear quarter having a recess at which it is possible to arrange a flap which is articulated to a shell: however, in this known solution the flap only allows a wider opening of the front quarter with respect to the rear one, thus facilitating the insertion of the skier's foot, but has no effect on the rear support, because the support is ensured exclusively by the interconnection between the rear quarter and the front quarter and with optional means for adjusting the mutual position of the front quarter and of the shell, interposed between these last.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,973, filed on Apr. 9, 1987, discloses a sports shoe comprising a shell to which a quarter is pivoted. The quarter is provided, at the rear, with a recess at which it is possible to arrange a cuff which embraces the heel region and is in turn articulated laterally to the shell.
Connecting means are interposed between the cuff and the quarter. A lever is associated with the cuff and selectively interacts with a tooth which protrudes to the rear of the shell.
This known solution allows, upon activation of the lever, to disengage the lever from the tooth and open the quarter by virtue of the articulation of said quarter to said upper quarter.
However, this solution has problems, since it is structurally complicated and difficult to industrialize, thus requiring numerous manufacturing steps due to the means used and to their placement at the quarter and the cuff, and all this increases its production costs.
Also, the user has to act on two distinct elements, such as the lever and the connecting means.
Finally, when the quarter is opened there is a considerable deformation imposed at a flap which is associated with the shell and protrudes to the rear of said shell.